


Calendula

by tabbykats



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Child Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, High School, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbykats/pseuds/tabbykats
Summary: Everyone is born with a mark on their skin. Maybe a line or a simple circle but when you meet your soulmate, it grows. It grows into a beautiful tattoo that perfectly symbolizes your soulmate. It grows until there is just one piece missing. That final piece will only appear once you've kissed them.Nico has had a rough life. He lost his Mother and Sister at a young age and was left with an abusive uncle. Even after five years since he'd lived with his uncle, Nico still receives panic attacks. He doesn't think he's capable of healing but his soul mark might just prove him wrong.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 160





	Calendula

He grabbed his bag as he walked out the door, prepared for another day of hell. Nico watched as cars drove by on his walk to school. Well, at least this year was his last. He only had to deal with shitty teachers and even worse students for a few more months and then he was free. 

He crossed the road once the sign flashed and continued his journey. The wind blew harshly against him and the sound of rustling leaves made him turn around. 

Nico watched as a boy went to jump in a pile of Autumn leaves. He chuckled as he continued walking. 

English grew long and Nico felt himself tire. It was too early to listen or read anything. He laid his head down for a minute and slowly closed his eyes. The harsh slamming of a book on his grey desk made him shoot up. He looked at his teacher’s displeased face and rolled his eyes.  
“And that’s detention Di Angelo unless you want to apologize?” Without missing a beat, Nico answered.  
“I’m sorry you’re so damn sensitive Ms. Grace and I’m also sorry your Husband found someone worth his time." 

Nico was kicked out of class with suspension for a single day but he didn’t mind, in fact, he was grateful. He would have time to take care of Hazel. 

As he walked down the dull corridors of the school, he let his mind wander. He loved his sister, he really did. Yet, he still felt something was missing from his life. Bianca died a long time ago, he hated to admit it but he had trouble remembering her face these days. Nico ruffled his hair a little and thought of something else. Hazel. Hazel had the flu right now and she was home alone since Persephone was visiting her mother and his father was away on a business trip. His having suspension meant he could take care of her. Honestly, there were no downsides to this arrangement. None at all.  


The urge to use the bathroom had Nico scurrying down the hallway. When he went to wash his hands, he pulled his sleeves up and for a second and thought he was dreaming. On his arm wasn’t just the circle he had grown used to seeing but a single flower petal attached to it. He rubbed his eyes, washing them too just to be sure of what he was seeing. The petal was still there. It was inked in a bright yellow color that made him think of the sun. Of soft sandcastles and sweltering heat. He loved it. Nico looked around the boy’s bathroom but no one was there. When had he met his soulmate? It couldn’t have been anyone in class otherwise the tattoo would’ve shown up sooner and he didn’t see anyone passing him in the hallway. Could he have received it days ago and just never noticed?

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it had already been five minutes since he left class. Nico hurriedly made his way to the main office.  
****  
“As you know Mr. Dicaprio, Ms. Gertrude is very sensitive when it comes to talking about her previous husband so please refrain from doing so in the future."

Nico looked up into the exhausted eyes of Mr. D, the school principal. Despite his rudeness and unenthusiastic nature, Nico had to admire the guy for his honesty and acceptance of all his students.  
“On the other hand, however, I gotta respect your skills, that was some nice work young man, I’ve never seen Ms. Gamora so riled up before." Nico nodded his head as Mr. D smiled at him. “You’re only being suspended for one day which is pretty nice since it’s a Friday tomorrow so have fun and don’t do drugs kid."  


Nico walked through the lunchroom, a tray of slop in his hands. He tossed his tray in the bin and sat down, pulling out his phone. 

He hated lunch. The food was always awful and somebody always felt the need to say something to him or dump their slop on him. Nico just pulled his hood up and kept his head down trying to imagine he was somewhere else. That dream only lasted for a minute, however.  
“Whoops sorry Di Angelo, I couldn’t see you hidden amongst the shadows”. Nico shook off the sweet potato fries that had fallen on him. He turned to see another nameless, faceless bully. He just packed up his things and exited the lunchroom. “Guess the fag doesn’t like brunets then, it’s a shame, I was ready to go tonight." 

A tray of slop struck the boy’s head. Nico didn’t turn to see who it was he just took off running. 

He ran right out the school gate, security guards on his tail but he didn’t care. He just needed to get away. He jumped a fence and fell into an empty alleyway. 

Nico turned around to see the guards heading back in the direction of the school. He was safe.  
He briskly made his way home, excited to finally be free for a few days. 

When he opened the front door. He found his sister asleep on the couch. He tiptoed over to check her fever. It hadn’t broken yet. As he turned to leave, Hazel gasped.  
“Nico, your mark?” He looked into her eyes and saw that they were shimmering with joy. “Did you meet him?” Nico shook his head but was surprised to see her smile didn’t damper. “You’ll see him again and he’ll make you happy." Nico chuckled as he crouched down.  
“What if I’m already happy." Hazel reached out to touch her brother’s cheek but slowly pulled away.  
“I know you’re not Nico. Papa and Mama can’t see it but I can."  
“Get some more rest, We’ll watch a movie later." He began to walk away but stopped when Hazel spoke.  
“We all love and care about you Nico, don’t you forget that. You are loved."

Nico nodded his head and walked up the stairs. He didn’t know why but tears brimmed his eyes. He had everything he could ask for so why wasn’t he happy? His fingers swirled around his wrist where his mark lay. Did his happiness all depend on that one person? Looking down, Nico was surprised to see another petal around the circle. Had his soulmate passed by him on his way home today? Why didn’t he notice? Did his soulmate notice him? Probably not, Nico thought.

Nico headed up to his room. It was still pretty early in the day so he decided now was the best time to have a shower. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the hot, steaming water. 

He hated having showers because of how much effort it took yet, he still found himself standing in the hot spray of water, turning the temperature up every few minutes until the water reached boiling. Hazel was always telling him how much hot water wasn’t good for his skin but he didn’t care. 

Nico stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. As he was pulling his shirt on, he saw a glimpse of his wrist. So far, there were two flower petals on there. But of what flower? They were colored yellow as if someone had splatted a paintbrush on his skin. It looked messy, as if the artist hadn't quite gotten the hang of painting but he liked it. Loved it in fact. Brushing his fingers against the mark, he felt a tingle and it made him smile. 

That night, Nico couldn’t stop himself from wondering what it would be like to have someone that loved you and cared about you. Not because they had to but because they wanted to. Beyond his hope, at the darkest of his mind, doubt clouded him. What if his soulmate didn’t like him?

Nico arose to the sound of breaking glass. He stumbled down the stairs to find his sister, swaddled in a blanket on the floor picking up shards of a teacup.  
“Here, let me do that you go lie back down." Hazel protested.  
“It’s my mess I’ll clean it up Nico, I can take care of my--” Hazel sneezed so loud and hard it looked painful. Nico plucked the glass out of Hazel’s hands being careful not to touch her skin. Defeated, Hazel trudged over to the couch.  
“Sit tight, I’m making pasta for breakfast."  
“I’m sorry Nico, I ruined your morning." Nico smiled.  
“Well Miss Levesque, I wouldn’t apologize just yet because I am picking today’s movie." Hazel groaned already knowing her fate. 

After Nico prepared the fettuccine, the siblings began watching Spirited Away for what had to be the billionth time in their lives. Nico never seemed to get tired of watching the film and though Hazel was positive she had memorized every line of the movie by now, she loved seeing her brother smile. It was a rarity for him ever since Bianca passed. Hazel was always hesitant when it came to hanging out with her brother. At first, she felt he just used her as a replacement but after years of knowing him, she knew it wasn’t true.  
“Hazel look! He’s going to turn to a dragon!”. Hazel didn’t see Haku transform. Instead, she closed her eyes and leaned onto her brother’s shoulder. She felt him jump a little. She could feel his breathing quicken but soon he relaxed and that made Hazel smile. He’s come such a long way, she was so proud of his progress. 

Nico stumbled into the class just as the bell rang. He smirked at his teacher while dropping his bag and taking a seat.

The hour drove on and Nico already began to feel fatigued. He lay his head down, deciding to take a nap but his growling stomach interrupted him. He clutched it tightly and quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Luckily everyone’s eyes were still facing the front of the room and he relaxed.  
“Do you want one?”. Nico whipped around to see a boy offering him a granola bar. Nico shook his head but the boy gave him a pointed look. Sighing, Nico took the bar and quietly opened it below his desk. He broke off small pieces and shoved it in his mouth whenever the teacher turned their back. The boy next to him chuckled at Nico’s actions.  
“Thank you." Nico whispered to the boy beside him. He nodded and answered,  
“of course." The boy smiled at Nico and Nico felt his fatigue lift.

Nico returned the boy’s smile as the bell rang. Quickly, he got up and rushed out, forgetting about the boy who had gifted him a granola bar. 

On his way to his next class, he was stopped by a hall monitor.  
“Can’t wear jeans in school, you know this." Nico just rolled his eyes and walked to the main office.  
Honestly, why did a school care so much about dress code anyway? Why not instead put more effort in actually teaching students something useful?

“Ah, Nicole, right on time." Mr. D said, glancing over his computer screen. “We have a new shipment of textbooks or whatever for you to take care of."  
“Mr. D, I’m here for dress code violation." Mr. D looked Nico up and down, confusion painting his face. “Uh-huh, just take this pass and deliver this cart to room 209." Nico nodded his head and began pushing the cart. He paused before asking,  
“Does this mean I can skip class for the next two hours, Sir."  
“If you wanna skip for an additional hour you’re gonna have to help the theater kids set up, other than that I can’t get you out of class Mr. Dingo”. Nico nodded in understanding and set off for room 209. 

Upon entering, he heard what sounded like a dozen textbooks falling on the ground and a little girl’s scream of fear. Looking down, he saw that he was partially right. The boy who had given him a granola bar earlier was now laying on the floor, holding his foot in pain. Battered old books were scattered on the ground.  
“Dumbass,"Nico muttered as he moved the cart out of his way to help the boy.  
“Correct," the boy groaned as he continued to clutch his aching foot.  
“I’m Will Solace, by the way, I forgot to tell you earlier." Nico nodded his head as he bent down to pick up the fallen textbooks.  
“Nico Di Angelo and how come you’re here?”  
“Uh, Mr. D said he was running short on volunteers and pulled me out of class to help out."  
“Of course he did," Nico murmured. 

The two boys picked up the fallen textbooks and piled them on a nearby desk.  
“We should start stocking the shelves with these ones," Nico announced, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the cart. Will nodded and went straight to work.  
“So Nico, what do you guys do for fun in this school?”  
“Couldn’t think of a better question Solace?” Nico hummed.  
“N-no I just, i-it was quiet and I thought-” Nico grinned.  
“I’m just messing with you. Nothing really goes on in this school. We get the weekly food fights of course during lunch. There’s always drama amongst girls but other than that it’s pretty boring around here." Will nodded his head as he continued alphabetically shelving books.  
“What made you move here?” Will stopped short before continuing his task.  
“My parents got divorced so me and my Mom decided to move here."  
“You like it here?” Will smiled.  
“Yeah, some pretty amazing stuff has already happened so I’m pretty happy here." Nico returned his warm gaze.  
“You made any friends yet?” Will stopped to look at Nico.  
“You, hopefully?” He was playing with the short strands of his hair as he leaned back against the desk. Nico smirked at his actions.  
“Yeah, sure. You’ll be amusing to have around." Will shot up in surprise, almost falling into the bookshelf, dropping some thick volumes as he caught himself. Nico laughed dropping a few books himself. They cleaned up and finished their task quickly. 

Nico and Will parted ways shortly after finishing their task. 

On his way to the theater, Nico realized he never asked Will for his number. Cursing himself, he stepped through the back door, only for it to be slammed shut before he could enter. Confused, he looked through the small square window in the center of the door to see the panicking face of none other than Will Solace as he quickly moved a fallen shelf. Nico pushed through onto the backstage while laughing at Will’s reddened face.  
“I didn’t hurt you did I? I’m so sorry I should’ve been more careful!” Will took Nico’s hands into his, scanning for damage. Nico felt himself choke. Something churned within him and it made him sick. He felt like he was submerged into a pool of inky black darkness. 

Nico pushed Will away from him as he ran out, heading for the nearest bathroom. He managed to make it to the stall before throwing his guts up. He gripped onto the toilet seat, disgusted by himself. It happened again. Nothing’s changed. 

Nico felt tired. He felt as if he was still fighting, trying to break the surface of the black liquid but his lungs were already filling up and he couldn’t breathe. Another round of gagging ensued but he had nothing more to vomit. 

He walked to the bathroom mirror and cleaned himself as best as he could. The tingle from Will’s touch still lingered and he had to lean against the sink so he didn’t fall. He had been good for a while. A whole year in fact. So why all of a sudden did he feel like he was drowning in his own shadow again? 

Nico spent the rest of the afternoon in the dimly lit lavatory. Or at least that’s what he planned to do until a boy with a bundle of yellow hair burst through the door. 

Will looked at Nico, tears in his eyes. Nico immediately felt guilty but also a little scared. What if he had another attack?  
Nico put his hands in front of him as a way of shielding himself but Will ignored his warning and stepped forward. Determination shone through the creases of his face but his doubts and worry were reflected in the tears brimming his eyes.  
“You had a panic attack right?” Nico nodded, too scared to speak lest he throw up.  
“Did I cause it?” Nico wanted to say no just so he could erase the pain from Will’s face but he didn’t want to lie to him either.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that would happen." Nico wanted to speak up to reassure him but he couldn’t utter a word. Inside, a sea was raging within him but he remained silent as Will walked out of the bathroom. 

That evening, Nico listened to music in his room. He didn’t have the energy to do anything. Unfortunately, Hazel did.  
“Nico Come on! I wanna watch Mama!” Nico sighed. Despite Hazel’s seemingly cute and adorable nature, she loved horror movies.  
“Hazel I’m taking a nap!” There was a silence before he heard the doorknob jiggle. Nico rolled his eyes. His sister was picking the lock. He reached for the doorknob, holding the door shut but Hazel already had it partially open. Not wanting to hurt her, he gave up.  
“I see you’ve recovered."  
“What happened?” Straight to the point as always, Nico thought.  
“What do you mean?” Hazel approached his bed to sit down beside him careful not to touch him.  
“It happened again didn’t it?” Nico was at a loss for words. He was a terrible liar and remembering that day’s events brought an onslaught of tears.  
“I thought I was getting better but I-I." Hazel held her arms open for him to fall into, careful not to force him or make him feel trapped. He hesitated before eventually giving in. His breathing quickened but Hazel brushed her fingers through his hair and he felt better.  
“These sort of things take time Nico, you can’t expect to be better overnight." Nico huffed before turning to look at Hazel.  
“It’s been five years, why am I still like this?” Hazel held him close before she let out a gasp.  
“Nico! Your tattoo!”. He looked at his arm to see more petals had been added to the flower. The center seemed to hold the sun. Rays of sunlight were colored a deep golden while the petals were painted with a honey yellow. There were still large portions of the tattoo missing but it was still beautiful. Nico smiled and Hazel felt a burst of happiness.  
“Whoever he is Nico, he’ll be able to heal you. I’m sure."  
****  
“Can we talk?” Nico turned to see a very nervous Will Solace. He swallowed the rest of his sandwich before giving him a curt nod.  
They were in a small, empty classroom a little ways away from the lunchroom. Nico didn’t like the noise, it made him anxious.  
“I’m sorry about what happened, I really didn’t mean to-”  
“It’s okay, it’s my fault I should’ve warned you or something." An awkward silence ensued before Will spoke up.  
“We’re still friends?”  
“Yeah, of course, if that’s what you want." Will grinned before taking a bite out of his own lunch.  
“You ever played a card game called Mythomagic Nico?” Nico smirked.

From that point on, the two talked about anything that crossed their mind. From movies to games to their embarrassing childhood obsessions and quite honestly, it was the happiest Nico had ever been. A couple of weeks had passed since the incident and the two boys had grown close. 

“You should tell him how you feel Nico, he might feel the same way!” Hazel exclaimed. Though the smile on Nico’s face was evident, the sight of his soul mark had him shaking his head.  
“I couldn’t Hazel, it wouldn’t be right and what if he likes someone else?”  
“He might even be your soulmate! Soul marks only grow when you’re around your soulmate and you’ve been hanging around with him a lot ever since your mark appeared." Nico thought about Hazel’s theory and beamed.  
“Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll tell him tomorrow." Hazel squealed with joy and Nico felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time, hope. 

“What caused your panic attacks in the first place?”  
It was a lazy day at school with Nico and Will alone in a secluded corner of the courtyard.  
With Will’s words, the atmosphere changed. The air seemed to grow thin and cold between them.  
“After my mother died, my dad went away for a while. He left me and my sister with my uncle and he was abusive." Nico didn’t feel upset as he explained, just empty inside. “After a year of living with him, my sister died in a car accident and I was left alone with him until my Dad took me in again when I was ten. I haven’t been the same since but I at least managed to forgive my Dad in the past year."  
“What happened to your uncle?”  
“He got locked up”  
“Why did your Dad leave you with him?”  
“Actually he left us with my stepmom’s mom but she just dumped us on him."  
Will nodded his head in understanding.  
“I’m sorry I just want to find a way to help you and I thought you talking about your past a bit my help. That and I was curious." Nico smiled at him.  
“I understand." Will decided it was time to change the subject.  
“Anyway, I got some pretty exciting news!” Nico chuckled at his loud volume in a near-silent space.  
“What is it?” Nico had something he was looking forward to saying as well but he was still nervous about revealing his feelings for Will.  
“I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while it’s just, I-I just don’t want you getting jealous or anything cause I found them first." Nico laughed slightly.  
“Found who first?”. Will was practically jumping in his seat on the bench.  
“I found my soulmate!” Nico felt the inky blackness rise within him. He muttered an excuse to Will, running for the bathroom once he was out of sight. 

The boys’ bathroom was thankfully empty as Nico hurled his lunch into the porcelain bowl in front of him.

Of course, Will had found his soulmate. Why wouldn’t he? What was Nico thinking? Someone like him with someone as bright and beautiful as Will? Nico sat down on the tiled floors once he was done but his stomach didn’t feel any better. He washed his face and marched on over to the nurse who told him to go home for the day. 

Trudging along the sidewalk, Nico felt his phone buzz in his jacket. Pulling it out he could see that Will had texted him, asking why he skipped class. Nico typed the word sick before breaking down with an overflow of tears. Why was he so stupid? To hope for something so damn impossible? Of course, Will wouldn’t like him, they were just friends!

Nico stepped into his room and let the darkness take him in. Hazel was still at school and he had the house to himself so he could wallow in his self-pity. 

Nico must’ve fallen asleep at some point during his wallowing because he didn’t hear his sister step into his room. He definitely did feel Hazel’s hand carefully brushing his hair away from his face. He couldn’t control the fast pace of his heart when Hazel looked at him. She knew something had happened but she didn’t say anything and Nico was glad for her company. 

Unfortunately for Nico, he didn’t get the same treatment the next morning.  
“Was it something he said? Did he hurt you? Oh, my Gods, he hurt you didn’t he! Just wait till I get my hands on him I’ll castrate him with his own--”  
“Hazel he didn’t do anything, it was all me." Hazel urged him to continue so he did.  
“It was stupid of me to hope that I even had a chance in the first place. He’s kind and caring and good with people while everyone just avoids me. I don’t know why I thought he’d actually like me. He has his own soulmate."

Hazel didn’t say anything, just gave her brother a pitying look as Nico went off to hide in his room for the rest of the weekend. 

Nico didn’t even glance at Will’s worried texts, just ignored them. Whenever he saw the message bubble he felt sick, imagining Will with someone else. 

Nico’s tattoo was almost complete, just a single flower petal missing. That last piece of his soul mark wouldn’t be complete until he and his soulmate kissed and Nico still didn’t know who it even was. Would this person really be able to heal him of his past trauma? To love him and take his pain away? Nico didn’t know. 

He clutched onto his arm tightly, afraid that if he let go of his soul mark, he’d lose his soulmate too. 

“I know it’s been rough lately and I’m sorry but that doesn’t excuse you from school Nico." Nico groaned as Hazel gently pulled the covers off of him before leaving his room. 

He got up, pulled a hoodie over his head, brushed his teeth, slipped on his shoes and was out the door before Hazel had finished brushing her hair. 

He felt sick inside. He felt the darkness clawing at him but he had to push it down. He had to plaster a smile on his face so Will wouldn’t suspect anything. 

The day went as it normally did excluding Will’s worried glances at Nico during class. 

Lunch eventually came around and Nico felt the darkness rise within him as Will strolled over.  
“I’m sorry I brought up your past but please don’t ignore me." Nico was perplexed but quickly realized the situation.  
“It’s not that Will, Hazel went to a sleepover at her friend’s house over the weekend and she took my phone on accident." The effect was immediate. Will’s smile softened his features and Nico felt his heart grow a little colder, knowing he’ll never be able to wake up to it.  
“Well, I’m sorry for it anyway, I should’ve just let you tell me in your own time." Nico tried his best for a smile despite the circumstances. Will fell for it and their conversation seemed to pick up as if nothing happened. The talk of soulmates was inevitable and though Nico tried his best to listen to Will, the churning sea of darkness welled within him. 

His breathing quickened and he gripped onto the edge of the bench they were sat on. His heart rate soared and Nico wanted to cry. Will was too busy talking about future plans for his soulmate and him. 

Nico lost it. He began to panic, falling off the bench and cutting himself on the edge of a stone. His heart raced and he couldn’t breathe in the endless amounts of air that surrounded him. 

Will rushed to his side. Worry and fear evident on his face. Will held onto Nico, brushing his hair back in an attempt to calm him down. When that didn’t work, he began singing. A soft, slow, beautiful melody that left Nico in awe. His breathing had returned to normal but his grip on Will was still tight. He felt sticky a sticky sensation on his fingers and looked down to find a deep cut on his ring finger. Will noticed and immediately began pulling out a box of bandages as well as a salve for the cut. 

He took Nico’s hand into his after Nico gave him his permission. He wiped away the blood and opened the jar containing the ointment. He set the cap down on the grass and Nico looked down at the flower design on the label. It was a much too familiar golden yellow. 

As Will bandaged Nico’s ring finger, he went to take the lid but stopped when he found Nico’s eyes fixated on it.  
“Nico, are you okay?”  
“What flower is that Will?” Will was confused. Was Nico just curious? He seemed scared, his face had gone pale and his breathing had stopped.  
“It’s a calendula flower, Nico, it’s good for healing."  
With his bandaged hand, Nico lifted the sleeve of his hoodie to reveal the same flower painted on his skin, a golden sun shining in the middle. Will pulled up his sleeve to reveal a black rose surrounding a skull, a tear dripping from an empty eye socket. Both tattoos had one thing in common.  
“There’s a petal missing”. Will observed. Will was about to draw closer when Nico lifted his hand to stop him.  
“I-I thought you said you found them." Nico was scared, he couldn’t hope It would be too much on him.  
“I knew they were near but I didn’t know who they were. Even before I noticed my soul mark growing, I was always drawn to you." Nico was shocked.  
“What, w-why?” Will chuckled and slowly took Nico’s hand in his.  
“You’re cute Nico. You’re always so careful when it comes to people. You’re strong even though you don’t see it and your intimidation tactics are hot. When you walk into a room, people stare. Despite your attempts to hide amongst the crowd, someone like you Nico will always stand out. Also, your skinny jeans make your ass look great by the way, I’ve been dying to tell you that since I met you." Nico chuckled, scrunching up his nose and Will felt his heart soar. “The way you scrunch up your nose is adorable. How you always have a smile on your face when you talk about your sister brightens everything. The way you’d do anything to make someone happy labels you a hero in my books." Nico was blushing like crazy as Will took both of his hands.  
“I just have one question for you Nico." Nico looked into Will’s eyes. They were a calm sea, one he felt within him.  
“Be mine?”. Nico was so overjoyed he didn’t stop to think before leaping onto Will, kissing him. They pulled away, laughing and smiling together. His bandage still clinging to his ring finger. Maybe his soulmate had the power to heal him after all and even if he didn’t, he knew Will would support him as he learned to heal himself. The two joined hands as they continued on with their lunch. Tattoos shimmering in their completion.


End file.
